India - the Mother

November 19, 1966

Yesterday I wrote something in French, but it was under the pressure of Sri Aurobindo's consciousness. He said (Mother takes a note and reads):

"According to the law of men, the guilty must be punished. But there is a more imperative law than the human law: it is the law of the Divine, the law of compassion and mercy. It is thanks to this law that the world can last and progress ...

The vision was so clear. It was such a clear vision.... If you follow this law of the guilty who must be punished, then little by little, with the unfolding of things, everything should be punished! (Mother laughs) Nothing would remain! So Sri Aurobindo said:

"It is thanks to this law that the world can last and progress towards Truth and Love."

The guilty must be punished! ... It's always the same idea; men always have that idea: the guilty must be punished—but where does that lead to??

... It was all clearly seen: men always believe that the guilty must be punished, that it's the way out of the difficulty, but the true way is compassion and mercy. It's not that you are ignorant of the true movement and the false one, but you have SPONTANEOUS mercy, effortlessly—and at all times. The vision was very clear that this is how progress is possible—if the fault were always punished, there wouldn't be anyone left to progress!

Mother's Agenda: November 19, 1966